


All I Ever Wanted

by kaylahselman15



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-08-13 08:50:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20171530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaylahselman15/pseuds/kaylahselman15
Summary: Sweet Pea and his quick-witted wife, Emma, are embarking on their greatest adventure: parenthood.





	1. Chapter 1

All I Ever Wanted  
PAIRING: Sweet Pea and OC (Emma Carter Wilson)

A/N: I know I primarily post poetry, so this is my first fic to post on this page. I have such a soft spot for Sweet Pea and know that any wife he may have has to have a little spunk- cue Emma. Hope you Enjoy!! (I posted this originally on my Tumblr, Riverdale Poetry, and am posting it here now)

________________________________________________________________

All my life, I had dreamt of this moment. Some would say it was a silly dream, but all I ever wanted was to be somebody’s mother. 

I imagined this time as miraculous and beautiful, but in reality, gritting my teeth and sweating through another contraction was really getting old. Thirty-two hours of slow and painful labor had proven that my son would be just as stubborn and mule-headed as Sweet Pea.

My patience was wearing thin, my mother was dancing on my last nerve, and my husband was, unfortunately, receiving the product of my discomfort.

“I swear to God if you don’t make her leave, I’m divorcing you,” I muttered, reaching for my ice chips.

“Hey,” he responded defensively with his hands in the air. “I’m not the one who asked her to be here.”

“Well, you should’ve stopped me.” I pouted. He chuckled but gave in to my wishes. “I’ll talk to your dad and get him to distract her, okay.” I nodded eagerly as he walked out the door.

When he came back in, I was sitting up, arms crossed indignantly, and crying. I was weak, I was hurting, and I was just plain frustrated.

He came quickly to sit at my side. “Sweet Pea, this fucking hurts. I’m so tired.”

“I know. You’re doing so good. We’re getting so close to meeting him.”

“Pea,”

“What, baby?”

“We are never having sex again.”

He cocked his eyebrow and laughed, bringing his hand to cup my cheek. Pulling me close to him, he nibbled briefly at my ear and whispered, “I’m sure I can change your mind.”

I shove him away and throw my pillow towards his head, laughing as he jumped off the bed, ducking in surprise. “I’m in labor, you weirdo.”

“You are having my baby. You have never been sexier than you are right now.”

Sighing and shaking my head, I answered my goofy husband. “That’s sweet and all, but I really just want to hit you. That’s all I can think about. You did this to me.”

His lips twitched into my favorite mischevious half-smile, and he retook his place right next to me. He took my hand and kissed me on the forehead, paying no mind to the sweat that was trickling from my scalp. “I love you too, beautiful, so fucking much.”

I smile at him weakly and lift his hand to my face. “If you keep mom from coming back in here for good, I’d love you a whole lot more.”

“And just how am I supposed to do that? You want me to call the National Guard, and get them to block the entrance of the room,” he teased.

“No, smartypants, but you could call the Serpents. Duh.”

He stared at you, pursed his lips, and scoffed. ”Babe…”

“Yes, precious,” I giggled.

“Your mother scares them. They aren’t going to get in her way, and I can promise you that.”

“Fine,” I huffed reaching for my phone and typing in Jughead’s number as fast as I could. Sweet Pea just watched in amusement. “I’ll give them something to be scared of.”

“Jones…No, I haven’t had the baby. Look, I need a favor. I need you to get a few Serpents to distract and prevent my mom from coming into this room…What the hell do you mean, no?… Listen here, pal, if you or Pea or anyone let her or anyone else in here, I’m going to hand all of your asses to you, pregnant or not…When you have an 8-pound human trying to exit your body, and taking his sweet time doing it, you can call the shots. Until then, guard my fucking door, or I’ll shove that precious beanie of yours down your throat. I mean it, Forsythe…Room 402, thank you.”

I smiled triumphantly, slapping my phone into Sweet Pea’s open hand. “I was wrong about you, Em. Motherhood won’t soften you.”

“Damn straight. I’m still a Serpent through and through. If I could only scare our son out of me.” Sweet Pea plopped on the bed and slung his arm over my shoulder. He reached for the tv remote and turned on Law and Order. I rubbed my belly and thought back on all the decisions I made that got me here.

Moving to Riverdale and starting Southside High introduced me to the Serpents. Joining the Serpents is how I met Sweet Pea. Befriending him is why we started hooking up, and hooking up is how we fell in love. We were two lonely teenagers, jaded by our circumstances and blinded by sheer lust. The warm hands he used to make me dizzy became the same hands that put me back together when my brother was killed. Since then, I’ve spent the better part of the past five years happily arguing with the love of my life, and soon to be the father of my baby.

I thought I lost him once. A job that Jughead and FP sent him on went south, and he was beaten and left unconscious. I got the call in the dead of night and slapped Jug for letting Pea go alone as soon as I got to the hospital. Walking from the door of his hospital room to his bedside was the hardest ten steps I’ve ever taken. I collapsed at the side of his bed, burying my head in the sheets and sobbing. When he finally woke up, he pulled me up to lay next to him. His strong arms held me close, and his baritone voice promised me he wasn’t going anywhere.

After he was released from the hospital, we decided to move in together. By my next birthday, we were engaged. Fangs officiated our wedding, and just like that, Emma Carter became Emma Wilson. Before I knew it, I was throwing up every morning, afternoon, and night. When I told him I was pregnant, I was terrified. We had only been married for a few months and hadn’t planned on having kids for a while. The smile that broke on Sweet Pea’s face, however, melted away any worry I had.

While I was pregnant, Sweet Pea made sure I wanted for nothing. Every odd request and three a.m. craving was granted without complaint. He rubbed my back and told me every day how beautiful I was. He showed off every sonogram picture to our friends; and when we found out we were having a boy, he had a special Serpent onesie made. I couldn’t imagine anyone else to be doing this with than my protective, sweet, excited, funny, loving Sweet Pea.

My doctor bustled in, interrupting my flashbacks, and drawing me back to this moment. “Alrighty Emma, let’s see how we’re doing.”

Sweet Pea took my hand as the doctor examined me. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor stood up and pressed the call button on my remote.

“Nurse, yes, let’s get Mrs. Wilson moved to a delivery room, please. It’s time to meet this baby.” She smiled and patted my leg. “You ready to roll?”

“Dr. Shows, I was ready two months ago, let’s go!” She smiled at us and left to scrub in, leaving me and Sweet Pea alone again. It took all of two seconds for him to jump off the bed and dance around the room. “It’s time. It’s time!”

“Alright, alright.” He walked towards me once he had gotten it out of his system, “Let’s go meet our boy!” I said, pulling him down by his dog tags for a kiss.

—————————————————

Forty minutes, too many pushes, and seven curses thrown at Sweet Pea later, and I finally fell back against the bed, defeated. My chest was heaving, my head was spinning, and I was trying my best to keep my eyes open and trained on Pea’s face. 

He was smiling tenderly, with big tears rolling down his cheeks. He looked back at me and said, “Em, we did it! He’s here.”

“I did it, thank you,” I replied weakly, still not noticing the “he” he was referring to.

Suddenly, I felt a warmth on my chest and moved my glance to see the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. He was here. Our son was here. One look and I was back- entirely focused, and immediately forgetting every pain of the past forty hours. I had been broken and reborn in this room, and I knew with one hundred percent certainty that I was meant to be his mother.

Sweet Pea seemed to be in the same trance I was, completely hypnotized by our beautiful baby. When the nurse took him to clean him up, we clung to each other, passing sloppy kisses and breathy, “I love you’s” back and forth.

We spent the next few days memorizing every detail of our son and introducing Carter James Wilson to our friends and family. As Sweet Pea passed the baby to Betty’s excited arms, he asked Jughead how it felt to be on the receiving end of my wrath.

Jug just shook his head in response, and I rolled my eyes. “You listen here, Curtis Eugene Wilson, if I wasn’t high on Percocet, and blissfully obsessed with our child right now, I’d make you scared of me, too.”

“I love you too, beautiful,” he winked and leaned over to kiss my cheek.

I smiled sweetly and reached for Carter. This moment- my son in my arms, my husband by my side, and the ones we love here with us- this is what I dreamt of. This moment is all I everwanted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did intend for All I Ever Wanted to be a one-shot, but I could not get Sweet Pea and Emma out of my head. Writing this felt natural, and by the time I reached the end of this piece, I knew their story wasn’t over. With that being said, keep your eyes peeled for updates on this page as well as on my tumblr (RiverdalePoet). 
> 
> Oh, also, I own nothing

The first few months after bringing Carter home were disastrous. Our tiny cottage, that barely managed to support the two of us, was bursting at the seams with our new addition. Piles of dirty burp rags and onesies threatened our sanity daily, no matter how many loads of laundry we battled. Nights of mindless shushing and swaying and begging our little boy to sleep for longer than twenty-two seconds left us weary. But sweet gurgles and drooly grins from our son kept us going with dreamy smiles ever-present on our faces.

Slowly, we find our flow. Out of the blue, Carter blesses us with a manageable sleeping schedule, giving us all the fuel we needed. The mountain of laundry becomes less intimidating, as our home adjusts to our new family of three.

Sweet Pea, notoriously recognized for being hard as stone, was a puddle of mush when it came to Carter. I spent much of my mornings, admiring them both as Pea has our little guy tucked carefully in his arms. Today is no exception. My place in the bed provides a picturesque view of my two guys cuddled up in the living room. My husband lays sprawled out on the couch in his sweats, with Carter curled up against his bare shoulder, both facing the television set. Sweets shared his love for Saturday morning Westerns from the very beginning with our baby. When I was pregnant, and getting kicked and attacked from the little boy inside, Pea would turn on Bonanza or whatever he could find, and Carter would calm down immediately, giving me instant relief.

“Listen here, little guy, if anyone ever tells you that John Wayne is overrated, you just hit them. No questions, just sock em right in the jaw. You don’t want to befriend anyone with those standards,” he spoke eagerly to a very attentive four-month-old. In response, Carter giggled and flailed his little fists, swiping Sweets in the process. Pea turned Carter around and lifted him in the air before peppering his cheeks with noisy kisses. “Easy now slugger, you don’t get to hit me. I’m on your side.”

I couldn’t stand it any longer and pulled myself out of bed. I padded swiftly across the floor and stole my baby from Sweet Pea’s arms, twirling him around. “Are you fighting with Daddy already? Huh? Don’t worry, Mommy likes to fight him, too.”

“Mmm, yep. And that’s how you got here, buddy,” he responded, lifting himself off the couch to kiss the top of my head. 

Carter gurgled happily from my arms, and I turned my attention back to my little dark-haired, dark-eyed clone of my husband. “Daddy thinks he’s funny.”

He laughed and slapped my butt before making his way to the kitchen to start the coffee pot. I grabbed the outfit I laid out for Carter and started to wrestle him into it. “Em?” Pea called

“Yeah?”

“What time is everybody coming over today?”

“Oh, well, Betty said she and Jones were going to come around three to help us set everything up.”

“Really?” he asked, reaching for two mugs and for my favorite creamer. “They don’t have to do that.”

I was having a hard time wrangling the wiggle worm into his little pants but managed to reply. “Yeah well, it’s Betty. That’s kind of her thing.” He nods as he sets my cup on the table beside me. “Toni and Cheryl will be here at four, and the rest of them around five, I think. Oh, except Fangs. He texted me this morning and said he’d be a little late. You think he’ll bring Jonathan?”

“Oh Christ, I hope not. Didn’t you say Kevin was coming too?” He reached for the remote and clicked off the t.v. before starting to fold the laundry.

“I mean, I invited him, obviously, but I honestly don’t know. I hope he does, I miss him. And he hasn’t met Carter yet.”

“Maybe he’ll show up. If not, we’ll hunt him down tomorrow. I know Betty will help us corner him.” He threw me a wink and a fresh bib from the pile of clothes. I fastened the bib and set Carter down gently in his swing so I could get a few things done to prepare for tonight’s dinner.

Sweet Pea may have marked our son with his love for older movies, but I passed something other than my fair complexion to him, as well. He loved my old records and often fell asleep swinging happily along to Jimmy Reed. Hoping he would get a good nap in, I turned on the record player. Before “Ain’t That Loving You Baby” was over, he was out, and I breathed a sigh of relief, slipping off to take a shower while I could. 

It wasn’t long before the door creaked open, and Sweet Pea slipped in behind me. “Can I help you?” I laugh when he yanks the bottle of shampoo out of my hands. “Yes, you can. Turn back around.”

“Truly, I don’t know why you insist on doing this these days. I can wash my own hair, you know.” I joked but hoped that he wouldn’t stop massaging my scalp.

“Remember that time you had my baby?” He hummed, continuing to lather the shampoo.

He had me in such a trance, I had to remind myself to respond. “Oh yeah, vividly.”

“That’s why.” That was a good enough answer for me, so I shrugged, and let him continue. Much too soon, the water turned cold and the list of everything we needed to do popped back into my brain. Reluctantly, we dried off, got dressed, and started bustling around the house as quietly as possible. 

Keeping the records playing as Carter slept worked wonders, buying us two hours of uninterrupted work. By the time, he started moving around I had the food prepped and ready to go. Sweet Pea had finished with the house and had it smelling as fresh as lemons. However long that lasted was up to our son.

He played happily on his mat with a few of his favorite toys in front of him while we got ready. I had a hard time picking out what to wear. My post-baby body was nothing like it used to be, and none of my clothes looked right. I was starting to panic when Sweet Pea wrapped me up in his arms and told me to stop. A few kisses and sexual innuendos later, and I was, surprisingly, feeling a little better. With his help, I finally settled on something that didn’t make me feel entirely uncomfortable. If Sweet Pea, had it his way, I’d walk around in one of his t-shirts 24/7, but he knew how important tonight was to me.

Feeling a little nervous, I laid back against the pillows and watched Sweets get dressed. The crinkle that formed between his eyebrows while he was trying to decide something always made me giggle. He wasn’t always the careful one. In high school, Sweet Pea was notorious for his short fuse and quick reflexes. As the years went on and a few fits of rage bit him in the ass, he mellowed out and learned something I never thought he would: patience. These days he’s very meticulous and intentional with each decision he makes, no matter how small. That’s not to say he’s no longer useful to the Serpents. Any time something needs to be handled, Sweet Pea is calculated and lethal in every move and reaction.

Soon enough, there was a steady knock on our front door. Sweet Pea pulled his shirt over his head and ushered our guests inside. Carter squealed when Betty scooped him up and bounced him around. Jughead handed me a bottle of wine before taking his usual seat on the couch. After Betty had her fill of cooing at Carter, she dropped him into Jughead’s reluctant arms and turned to me, clasping her hands together. “Where do you want me, Em?”

“I hate to spoil your fun, but I think we’ve just about got everything ready.” I looked around the kitchen and remembered, “Oh, we can go ahead and get the table set, and maybe plate some of the finger foods. I know our dudes are probably already starving.”

“Right,” she replied militantly and went straight to work. I squeezed her into a one-armed hug when the work was done, and all that was left to do was relax and wait for people to arrive. “Thanks, Betts, I couldn’t have done this without you.” She smiled in response and went to join the boys in the living room. 

“Does anyone know if Kevin’s coming tonight,” I ask pointedly to Betty. 

She hesitates, stealing a glance at her husband before answering, “Have you heard if Fangs is bringing Jonathan?”

“Unbelievable. He told you to check if the coast was clear, didn’t he?” She avoided my glare, picking at a loose thread on the hem of her skirt. “Okay, no, I don’t know. I have no earthly idea. I just know that I want Kevin here. I know he’s still upset, and I get that, but Carter is four months old. He hasn’t even tried to come to meet him,” I huff, trying my hardest to let it go…and failing. “You know what- enough is enough! You tell Mr. Keller that if he doesn’t have both feet on my porch by 5:15 pm, I will come to his house, and I will drag him out by his teeth if I have to, got it? Fangs and Jonathan be damned.”

Jughead and Sweet Pea exchange nervous looks, but Betty nods and immediately types my message out to Kevin. Her phone dings in reply almost immediately, and she chuckled. “Done and done. He says he’s hopping in the shower now.”

Sweet Pea shakes his head and leaves to grab drinks for Jughead and himself. “If that one can’t light a fire under somebody and get them moving, nobody can. Freaking drill sergeant, I swear.” 

Just as I wave my middle finger at him in retaliation, Cheryl and Toni walk in.

”Geez,” Toni laughs, “Parenthood has no peaceful effect on you two, does it?”

“No, no. We still fight like cats and dogs, it’s just now we do it with a baby on my boob or in my arms.” I smile and stand up to hug them both. “How was the trip?”

Cheryl sets a pile of presents on the table by the door and gushes. “Tres bien, per usual. Now, where’s our little nephew?” She looks around our living room before zeroing in on him bouncing on Jug’s knee.

Toni follows suit and crosses the floor to snatch Carter up. He grins as she holds him high, looking him over. “Well, aren’t you the spitting image of your bone-headed daddy.”

We both ignored Pea’s “I heard that” from the kitchen. I nodded in response, expecting as much. “It’s insane, right? They’re identical.”

“Wait until he pouts,” Sweets interrupts, pulling me to sit on his lap. “His bottom lip pokes out, and if you pay him attention right then, he throws a full-on fit. That’s all his mama.”

I heave a sigh and melt into his strong hold. “Why are you the way that you are? I earn a few laughs with my Office reference, and we all fall into comfortable conversation. I notice how eager and attentive Sweets and I both seem, and chalk it up to us both missing the excitement of adult conversations.

Soon enough, more people pile in. The buzz of friendly voices and the savory scent of our dinner that’s nearly done makes me smile. Having our friends here- basking in the cuteness that is Carter James, and filling every bit of our home and hearts makes me feel whole. I fight back the happy tears that the hormones are supplying, and go to open the door when I hear a timid knock. As promised, Kevin Keller stands at my door with flowers in hand, and a guilty expression heavy on his brow. All my resolve melts at the sight of him, and I burst, pitifully, into tears.

Sweet Pea, not able to see who was standing on the other side of the screen door from his place on the chair, was on his feet in second flats. He hesitates, seeing Kevin scrambling to calm me down. Fighting every instinct I know he had, my husband merely crosses his arms and fixes his hard stare on Kevin’s nervous face. Kevin merely nods at Sweet Pea and ushers me out on the porch with him and into a chair.

“You’re mad at me,” he says softly after a few moments. 

I choke out a small laugh through the tears and swallow the remaining sobs. “I’ve missed you…and I’m hormonal. So this isn’t all you, I promise.”

He leans back against the house and stares out towards the road as I calm down. Kevin and I got really close when he and Fangs were together. Having boyfriends that were attached at the hip didn’t really leave us much of a choice. Kevin was there when Sweet Pea proposed, keeping my soon- to -be husband from hitting the bottle too heavy to fight his nerves. He was beside me at my wedding, managing, miraculously, to keep an unruly group of groomsmen in check. He was the third person we told when I got pregnant and was just as excited as we were.

Sometime in my second trimester, he and Fangs decided to go their separate ways, and Kevin quit coming around. Shortly after the split, Fangs introduced us to Jonathan. I remember that day pretty vividly. Sweet Pea tried his best to diffuse the situation, knowing by my shaking leg that something was about to happen. I kept my composure, right until Jonathan mouthed off something about ‘that tragic ex of Fangs’’. I ignored the sharp hiss of Sweet Pea’s warning and whirled around quickly.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” There was no stopping me. I let him have it, banned him from my home until he learned how to act like an adult, and even gave Fangs a good cuss-out by the time it was over. During my whole tirade, Sweet Pea sat at the kitchen table with wide eyes and his fist resting against his chin, knowing that it was better for all of us to let me get it all out. It took a few months for Fangs to come around after that. I regret nothing. 

“I haven’t been doing so well, Em,” Kevin muttered, pulling me back from the flashback. “I know that’s no excuse, and I will do better. It’s just, I don’t know what to do at this point. I still feel so stuck.”

I took a few steadying breaths and stood up to loop my arm through his. “I can’t tell you what you need to do. I can’t fix it for you, and I hate that because I wish that I could. But what I can do is make sure you know that this house is open anytime you need it to be. I have a comfy sofa, a cuddly baby, plenty of comfort food, and a pot of coffee that can be ready in five minutes flat.”

He smiled, and ran his hand through his hair, “I like the sound of that.”

“I hoped you would say that. Now can we please go inside and eat?”

“Yes, let’s go, hot mama,” he chuckled and pulled me with him into my house. Carter and Kevin were fast friends, and they stayed glued together until dinner was ready. Around six, Fangs did show up, finally. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Jonathan was not at his side, and pretended not to notice the bashful glances he threw at Kevin for the most of the night.

Our evening was winding down, our child was passed out, and our friends were slowly making their way out the door. I made sure to pack leftovers for those that thought that a burger from Pops was a home-cooked meal, and threw a few extra helpings in the bowl that would be leaving with Fangs. He reached over the counter to take it, but I quickly grabbed his hand, effectively catching his full attention. “Where’s Jonathan?”

He laughed nervously and shrugged, leaning against the cabinets, “Who knows, who cares.”

I quirked my eyebrow, considering what that might mean for a possible reconciliation with Kevin. “Noted… I packed enough food to feed you for two days. This is not to be eaten in one sitting, Franklin Fogarty, ok?” All he offered in response was a half-hearted ‘yeah- yeah’.

“Also, I saw you.” With that, I cleared the rest of the countertop, and breeze past him into the living room. He followed me, clearly caught off guard by my accusation.

“Saw me what?” I reached for the remote only to have it ripped from my hand by my leather-clad pal.

“Well, that was rude.” He pursed his lips and waited. I let his agitation stew before a small, mischievous grin spread across my face. “I saw you looking at Kevin.” To my surprise, he didn’t deny it. In fact, he provided no response except for a sly wink and a quick hug goodbye.

My mind was racing with the possibilities when Sweets dropped on the couch beside me, resting his feet on the coffee table, despite my constant begging for him not to do that. “Little man’s in bed. I don’t think he’ll be waking up too much tonight.”

I grinned, sleepily, and cuddled into my husband’s warm side. “Yeah, he’s all played out. We should have people over every night.” Sweet Pea placed a kiss on the top of my head and agreed. We fell asleep that way, not bothering to make the short journey to our bed. I was scared if I moved a muscle, I would disturb this incredible feeling of gratitude that was pulsing through my body.

I meant what I said wholeheartedly. If I had it my way, nights like these- gentle reminders that we were loved and in good company- would be plenty.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Emma and Sweets have their first run in with sickness!

I felt the stiffness in my neck before I even opened my eyes. While the events of last night had me feeling as giddy as a teenager, this morning reminded me that I was not. The piercing cry from the baby monitor that jolted Pea straight to his feet confirmed it. I stretched, wincing, as the parts of my body that were angry with my decision to forgo the comfort of my memory foam mattress, got their revenge. “Not it,” I muttered before grabbing my blanket and making a beeline for the bedroom.

Sweets groaned and stumbled drowsily into Carter’s room. “You said that last time.” That was probably true.

The damage, however, was done. I tried to lay every which way, but nothing brought relief to my aching muscles. I sighed as Sweet Pea walked into the room with a freshly changed baby. Sitting up in the bed, I reached for Carter, knowing that he would be hungry. He latched on immediately and I winced at first, stroking his fuzzy little head. Sweet Pea slung off his sweats and t-shirt and fell beside me. As he threw his arm over his eyes and rested his other hand on my thigh, I made a mental note to ask him just how much he and Jughead drank last night. 

After a few minutes, Carter was full and nearly passed out. I lifted him up to plant kisses on his olive cheeks and laid him on my chest while patting his little butt. Lazily I started to hum and used my free hand to run my fingers through my husband’s thick, black hair. The corner of his mouth tugged upward in his sleep and I followed his example, drifting off myself.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our moment of peace didn’t last very long. Sweet Pea’s phone rang incessantly on the nightstand, waking up Carter and pissing me off in the process. He lurched towards the intrusion and answered with a gruff, “What?”

After a few minutes, he ended the call. “Whatever, man. I’ll see you in ten.” He turned back to me with a sheepish look, and I knew immediately he wouldn’t be making it to Carter’s checkup with me.

“Noooooooo. He’s getting his shots today, damnit! I can’t do that by myself. I’ll end up slapping a nurse or something.” Being a Serpent made me a fighter. Being a mother made me protective. Being both made me damn near dangerous.

“I know, baby, I’m still going to try and make it back in time. Jones said it would be quick.” Pea was sitting on his knees, now, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. These were the moments, however rare they were, that I wished we could leave the Serpents behind for good.

“Fine,” I whined. “But tell Jones he owes me. It better be good.” Pea kissed my pouted lips and within five minutes he was out the door. Since the appointment wasn’t until later, I put my little guy down to play on his mat and headed for the kitchen to whip up something for breakfast.

Carter and I waited around as long as we could, hoping that our favorite man would come bustling in to save the day. Unfortunately, the time came for us to go…without Sweet Pea. Like always, I made too much food for myself, so I stuffed the excess in a bin to take to Fangs on our way. God knows he wouldn’t eat if it wasn’t for me.

I strapped my sleeping son carefully in his seat and headed towards Sunnyside. Fangs’ trailer was right at the entrance of the park. His driveway was full of all the motorcycles and vehicles he was trying to revive, so I pulled my SUV on the side of the road, as close to his house as I could get.

Just as I turned my car off, I saw the door of the trailer swing open. Fangs stepped out first to look around, clearly oblivious to my vehicle. My mouth dropped open when, of all people, Kevin Keller followed close behind him. I gasped audibly and ducked as low as I could behind my steering wheel. Fangs walked with Kevin to his bike and handed him a helmet. Kevin kissed him briefly and climbed onto the back. Just like that, they took off, leaving through the back exit.

I stayed parked, still in shock for a few minutes. “Ooo Carter, Uncle Fangs, and Uncle Kevin have some explaining to do.” In response, Carter gave a pitiful cry that I hadn’t heard him make before. Right then, I hopped out of my seat and opened the door to check on him. I rested my hand on his forehead to find it hot to the touch. “Oh buddy, you’re not feeling too good, are you?” The look on his face was so sad, I unbuckled his harness to hold him. Just as I was lifting him up, it happened… he puked all over me.

Fighting every urge I had to get sick myself, I quickly cleaned us off and put him back in his set. I was so grateful the doctor was already expecting us, so I could get Carter checked out and feeling better. When I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to get a car seat that would allow me to remove the lining so I could wash it when needed. Sweet Pea argued with me for months that it wasn’t necessary. Days like today is why I’m glad I stood my ground. 

Right as I was pulling back onto the highway, Sweet Pea calls. I picked up on the first ring with, “Guess who I just caught slipping out of Fangs’ trailer? I’ll tell you: Kevin.”

“Shut up,” he chuckled, just as entertained by the gossip as I was.

“I’m serious. I caught them red-handed. I’m going to confront them both! I’m so excited. OH, and your son just threw up all over me.”

“Like spit up or throw up?”

“Throw up throw up. The real deal.”

Sweet Pea’s tone changed drastically. “What’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know, but he has a fever, too.”

“Oh shit! Something could be seriously wrong. We need to take him to the hospital.” He was worried, and the panic that hardly ever took him over was setting in.

“Babe, I think he’s just a little under the weather. I’ll just get Dr. Rhodes to look at him at the check-up.”

“Emma, he is little! Something small could turn deadly for him. I’ve seen stories like this all over the internet! Our son could be dying! Get him to the hospital right the hell now, I’ll meet you there!”

I chuckled, hoping to calm him own. “I’m sorry, am I talking to the right person? I’m looking for my husband: nine hundred and forty feet tall, thrown more punches than pick up lines, gang member, scared of nothing? Do you know him?”

“You can quit being a smart ass, anytime now, I’m really worried over here,” he growled. 

“I know you are. Just trust me, Sweets. I’ll let you know what the doctor says okay?” He sighs and I know he’s either doing one of two things- pinching the bridge of his nose and pacing, or tugging on the curl that falls in his eyes and tapping his leg nervously.

“Fuck that,” he finally replies. Glasses clinking and the hum of voices in the background let me know that whatever job they were called out for has been dealt with. “I’m leaving the Wyrm now. I want to talk to this doctor myself.”

“Yes, sir.” Any argument would’ve fallen on deaf ears. I didn’t care to fight that losing battle any longer.

We were checked in and waiting quietly when Sweet Pea came busting through the door. Wild eyes scanned the room before they landed on Carter and me. He made it to us two fluid steps before kneeling in front of me to inspect his boy. Carter was sleeping, finally, in my arms. His cheeks were rosy and little whimpers tumbled out of his pouted lips.

Although I wasn’t quite as shook up by this as my husband was, I was getting a little panicked. My heart broke to think of my child being in any bit of pain, and I wanted nothing more than to take it away from him. Sweet Pea took Carter’s chubby hand in his own. Steely brown eyes looked up at me, and I saw what he must have seen in mine: worry.

I didn’t realize I was crying until Sweets gathered our baby up and put his arm around me to steady me. I leaned into his side, grateful that he was here with us. This was the part of motherhood I wasn’t prepared for. I loved this beautiful boy with everything I had, and I knew without a doubt that I would do anything to prevent him from suffering. I had my taste of loyalty and responsibility from being in the Serpents, but this went beyond that. Part of me will always be attached to the little human that once grew in my belly… and that scared the living shit out of me.

It didn’t take long for the nurse to call us to the back. We told her immediately what was going on, and she assured us that the doctor would be right in to take care of our little man. When the doctor came in, he examined Carter thoroughly. After a few minutes of deliberating, he told us that Carter simply had a little cold, and prescribed us a few things to knock it out. When we left his office, we were both breathing a little easier, and clutching our baby a little tighter.

Once the medicine kicked in, Carter started to act like he felt better, much to my relief. Sweet Pea refused to let him get out of his sight and insisted on riding home with us. “I’ll just get somebody to bring me my truck later. I’m not leaving the two of you ever again.”

“Are you sure about that? Cause that’s going to get annoying fast.” Sweet Pea was stubborn, so I knew that while he meant that as a joke, there was some truth to it. He would be stuck to us like glue for a little while.

“You say the nicest things to me, Emma.” He reached for the keys dangling on my finger and hit the clicker a few times.

“What was so important you had to get involved this morning?” I finally got around to ask.

He hesitated for a few minutes, but shrugged it off, “Would it be alright if we tabled that for right now? I’m still pissed about the whole thing.”

“Consider it tabled,” I grunted while battling my worst enemy- the damn car seat. No matter how desperately I tried wouldn’t lock in for me, but as soon as I called Sweet Pea over, it clicked right in place in two easy moves. He shot me a teasing smile and wink and ducked quickly out of the line of fire. Before I had the chance, Sweets was climbing in the driver’s side. “I didn’t say you could drive my car,” I mumbled.

“I didn’t ask.” He immediately started changing the radio and pressing buttons, annoying me as much as he could. “Hey, I could get Fangs to bring me my truck, then we could talk to him about what you saw this morning.”

I visibly perked up at that thought. “Hell yes! You can call him right now!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a little about Sweet Pea and Emma's past, and get the scoop on Fangs and Kevin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! 
> 
> I own nothing.
> 
> This is also on my tumblr (RiverdalePoet). Please comment your thoughts! I appreciate you all! Enjoy!

“I’m not saying you’re a terrible driver, babe. All I’m saying is that you should be taking better care of this vehicle. How long has it been making this sound? Fangs could’ve already had this fixed.” Sweet Pea droned on and on and on.

  
I rolled my eyes and leaned against the window. “Sweets, you know how you said you wanted me to tell you when you’re being an ass?”

  
“No, I don’t. I was drunk and I still think you made that up,” he laughed as I reached over to smack the back of his head.

  
“First of all, darling, think what you want to. Second of all, YOU. ARE. BEING. AN. ASS. Not all of us drive like grandpas. Some of us like to live a little.”

  
He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and shot a pointed glare my way, “And that is how you totaled your first car. I swear to you, Emma, if I get a call like I got that night ever again, you’ll be driving a bicycle.”

  
I crossed my arms and looked back out the window, muttering “You flip a car one time, and you never live it down.”

  
To be fair, he had a point. We were still in high school and just had a huge fight. At that time, we weren’t officially together…just fucking like rabbits. It was sometime after the White Wyrm had been reclaimed as Serpent territory, and my future husband was using it as his safe haven to get with every new girl that walked in. We had an arrangement- fight, rip each other’s clothes off, argue, leave hickeys on every visible surface of our bodies, insult, sneak off to broom closets for relief, and most importantly- no one finds out.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few months in, and it was starting to fall apart. The more I watched them fawn over him, the angrier I got, and that night my blood was boiling. I sat, frozen, at the bar with Toni, and listened to her complain about Cheryl being away for the weekend. I was terrified if I got up, I would walk right over and tell Mr. Pea exactly what I thought of him, so instead, I pouted.

  
After a little while, I got bored and started making eyes at the new recruit across the bar. He was brawny and certainly seemed interesting. A few winks later, and he started to make his way over to the stool beside me. For the next few minutes, I flirted shamelessly, making the most out of this glorious distraction.

  
Downing every shot of whiskey Toni slid in front of me and getting this much attention from somebody new, made me forget all my woes. He had just lifted his newly tattooed hand to grip my thigh, when “What the fuck?” thundered from across the room. We both jumped and looked over to see Sweet Pea storming over to the two of us.

Before the poor guy had a chance to stand up, Sweet Pea had him by his jacket and slung him off the stool. “You’re new around here, so I’m gonna make this very clear.” His eyes were black and his fists were balled tightly at his sides. ‘If you put one finger on her ever again, you can kiss that hand goodbye.”  
For good measure, Sweet Pea shoved him towards the door, and he clamored to his feet making a swift exit. The Wyrm had gone silent. Fangs was watching the scene with a smirk as Toni was eyeing me carefully.

  
Slowly Sweet Pea turned around and his cold stare was met with fire from mine. We stayed that way glaring holes into each other until Jughead walked up, clapping a hand on Sweet Pea’s shoulder and saying, “Maybe you two should go outside. Ya know, talk or whatever it is you do? We don’t want to cause a sc-“

  
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” I yelled, ignoring Jug all together. He took a deep breath and backed away. Sweet Pea grabbed his jacket from the pool table and made his way towards the door, leaving his date for the night pissed.

  
I matched every step he took, finally able to corner him against the side of the building. “No, you don’t get to ruin my night and run away without an explanation. What the hell was that?”

  
“Emma, go back inside right now,” he growled, reaching for his cigarettes, and leaning back against the wall as he took in a long drag.

"Excuse me? Since you’re big on ‘making things clear’ for people tonight, let me clear a few things up for you. You don’t get to eye fuck every girl that gives you the time of day and blow your fuse when I flirt with ONE PERSON compared to your twenty. You don’t get to insist that I follow the rules that we made, and then say to hell with them whenever you feel like it. And you damn sure don’t get to tell me what to do, you self-righteous fuck.” He pushed himself off the building with his foot, flicking his cigarette on the gravel. He towered over me with ease standing as close as he could to match my intensity.

  
“Get your ass back inside before I say something I regret, Emma, I fucking mean it. Do not push me right now.” With that, I reached in my pockets for my keys and turned on my heel.

  
“I said get back inside, Emma Carter. Where are you going?” He followed me, grabbing my wrist and spinning me around to face him.

  
“Fuck you,” I spat through gritted teeth. “Fuck this. I’m done.” Jerking my hand free from his grip hurt, but not as much as it did to leave him in the taillights as I tore out of the parking lot.

  
Paying too much attention to the pounding in my ears and no attention to my speed, I raced through the night, trying my best to get Sweet Pea out of my head. The sharp curve on Holly Drive, locally referred to as the Devil’s Spine, appeared much sooner than I anticipated. There was no use; I had no time to bring the car down to a decent speed. Just like that the still of the night was broken as my car flipped over the guardrail, taking me with it.

  
Sherriff Jones was the first on the scene. Calmly, he assessed the damage and kept me sane as I dangled upside down, and waited for the ambulance. “You’ve really done it now kiddo,” he mumbled, dialing a number into his phone. I tried my best to focus on his voice as he spoke to keep from slipping into unconsciousness. “Son, you might want to get Pea and head this way. I’m at the Devil’s Spine with Emma…. Completely flipped. Yeah, it’s just me here right now. Okay, son.”

  
“FP, why’d you have to send for Sweet Pea?” I groaned when he hung up the phone, turning to face me again.

“Because he’s second in command…and because once Jughead told him what was going on, he’d come hell or high water.”

  
“I doubt it…” FP shook his head in response as I tried to stretch my neck for relief. I let out a small cry, and FP was kneeling in the window, trying to see what caused it. “I’m fine, I’m fine. It just hurts…why did I do this?” My eyes were getting heavy and I was struggling to keep it together.

  
“Hey, little lady, stay with me now.” Tires screeching close by caught my attention and kept me going for a while longer. “Oh thank God. Boys, get over here with her, I’m about to light a fire under these paramedics ass if they don’t get here.”

  
My vision was spotty, but I could tell by his height that Sweet Pea was quickly making his way towards my wrecked vehicle. The crunch of boots halted as he bent down. “Emma, baby, look at me.”

"Go away, Pea,” I mumbled, wanting nothing more than to sleep. Paying no mind to the glass in his way, he reached through the window to stroke my cheek.

  
“Emma, you gotta keep your eyes open. Hey, hey, open your eyes. What can I do?”

Smiling to myself, I weakly replied, “You can say ‘I am a dick and Emma is the best’”. Sweet Pea obliged making me giggle despite myself.

  
Jughead crouched beside Pea to let us know that the ambulance just pulled up, and before I knew it, they were working on getting me out. Sweet Pea stayed by my side and held my hand. At first, they would not let him ride in the back with me, but a few stern words from Sherriff Jones had them rethinking that decision. Sweets clung to me for dear life and kissed each of my knuckles. “This ends now, okay? No more hooking up and hiding it. That is over. We are together now, you hear me?”

  
The last thing I remember before giving in to the medicine being pumped through my veins was nodding in response and begging, “Don’t leave me…”  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sweet Pea reached over and squeezed my knee. “Em, where’s your head?” I turned my attention back to him, swooning at his tender half-smile he saved just for me.

  
“Feeling pretty damn lucky,” I whispered, and kissed him on the cheek. He used the hand that was on my knee to grab my hand, and we rode in comfortable silence the rest of the drive.

  
By the time we pulled up to our house right on the outskirts of the Southside, Carter was sleeping soundly. We carefully got him inside and placed him gingerly in his crib.  
We stumbled into the kitchen, exhausted from the stress of the day. Sweets sat down on the barstool, reaching for a bottle of water. “Do you think we should cook something?”

  
“Well, a sure-fire way to get Fangs to fess up would be food, so yes.” I laughed and started on dinner.

  
It wasn’t long before the man of the hour pulled into the driveway, and made his way into our home. Sweets grabbed him a beer from the fridge as I set the table.

  
“Well this is nice,” Fangs commented stuffing his face. “I was just planning on going to Pops later.” Sweet Pea nudged my leg under the table.

  
“Oh? By yourself?” Fangs slowed his chewing and looked suspiciously between the two of us.

  
“Yeah, I was gonna order take out like always.” I hummed in response.

  
“Emma….” Fangs started. “Why are acting so….pleasant?” Sweet Pea choked back a laugh as I stomped firmly on his foot.

“All I’m doing is feeding you, Fangs. I do this about twenty times a day.” Grumbling about being ungrateful, I stabbed a piece of chicken into my mouth.

  
Fangs was quiet for a moment as my husband was trying, still, to recover from his laughing fit. “No, that’s not it. I’ve known you for too long. Come on out with, Wilson.”

  
The table shook as I slammed my hands down and rose to my feet. “Alright fine. I tried to bring you breakfast this morning, but somebody was already there, Franklin. Any idea who that might’ve been? Looked suspiciously like Kevin Keller to me.”

  
Fangs averted his eyes as a deep blush spread across his cheeks. He stared between me and Pea nervously, refusing to answer.

  
“Oh no sir! What was that you told me? ‘Come on, Fogarty, out with it.” Sweet Pea slid another beer to him, sympathetically and Fangs smiled slightly. Sweets was thoroughly enjoying how uncomfortable Fangs was, and was fighting back a grin.

  
Fangs huffed and finally said, “No comment.”

  
“Okay then, no comment, no dessert.” Fangs laughed at that and scrambled quickly from his seat to follow me into the kitchen.

  
“Em,” he leaned against the counter and held eye contact. “Why are you mad?”

  
I slapped the dishcloth on the sink and sighed before turning to face him. “Because I’m not in the loop anymore. You two used to tell me everything- even things I didn’t want to know. When did that stop?”

  
Fangs grabbed my shoulders and looked me square in the eye, “When there’s something to tell, I will come to you first. We’re figuring things out, okay? It literally just happened less than eight hours ago.”

  
I nodded and pulled him into a hug, “Promise it’s not because I’m not cool anymore."

  
Sweet Pea chose that moment to walk in the room and chuckled before I shot him a dirty glare. Fangs just squeezed me tightly. “No, no. You’re still the baddest chick I know. Now let’s go look at your car.”

  
Groaning, I ushered him outside, following Pea who handed Carter off to me so he could pop the hood. It took a little longer than usual, but he had my SUV back in pristine condition. I was still fighting my curiosity but felt a lot better after our talk. Becoming a mom made me so happy, but distanced me from the people that in my life. It was nice to know they loved me just the same.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although Sweets has been back at it for months now, it's Emma's time to go back to work and Serpent life. She is tackling it like she does most everything- with attitude and diving in head first.

Whether I liked it or not, I had to leave the comfort of my home and the cuddles of my four month old and get back to work. Sweet Pea returned to Andrews Construction a mere two weeks after Carter was born. Throughout his first day back, he flooded my phone with messages, utterly heartbroken to be away from his little buddy.

Luckily, my mom stepped in to manage Southside Sounds while I was out having Carter. She told me if I wanted to take another month, she would hold down the fort, but with Veronica’s competing shop opening up in a few weeks I had to get back to business.

Southside Sounds Record Store had been in my family for generations and was the reason we moved to Riverdale in the first place. When my grandfather passed, my mom had no choice but to come take it over. A few years back my parents came to me desperately. They had nearly run it in the ground, and if something didn’t change and fast, we would lose our business. From that moment, the store was officially mine. I cut costs dramatically, streamlined our inventory, expanded our marketing targets, and organized community events. I made it a safe place for Southside teens to relax, and find weekend and summer jobs. It took a lot of double shifts, sleepless nights, creativity, and breakdowns but we were finally seeing the product of our labor.

That is until Veronica announced the opening of Archie’s birthday present- Archie’s Records. The day I found out, I stormed to Andrews Construction, guns blazing with the flyer Veronica taped on our window crumbled in my fist. Sweet Pea met me at the door and tried to get me to calm down, but once he saw the flyer, he called for Archie.

It took some convincing, but Archie assured me that he had nothing to do with the business. Veronica insisted that it be named for him, and he expressed how tactless he thought it was for her to do that. Despite his vicious girlfriend’s influence, Archie was still a decent person. That didn’t stop me from declaring war on our Northside competitor.

Before I made my way to the shop, I dropped Carter off at my mother’s. I left after an hour of briefing her on everything Carter and crying about having to leave him for any amount of time. When I finally made it back to the car with ruined makeup, I got a text from my husband.

[My Man: Happy first day back to my sexy boss babe! I’m proud of you, and I’ll prove it later ; ). I’m bringing the new recruit by after he gets out of school. His name is Blazer- he’ll be good there… and if he’s not, I can fix that. I love you x]

That was my favorite part of running the store- getting to help young Serpents. I knew some of them worked for school clothes and even food, and it broke my heart. Shoving my phone back in my pocket, I made my way to the store. When I opened the door, I saw that my mom made a few changes while I was gone. I made a mental note to talk to Crystal about letting her mess with the way I had the store merchandised.

I spent the next two hours in my office planning this week’s open mic night, and brainstorming ideas for opportunities to build our image in the community. Right when I finished up sketching Friday’s flyer, Crystal walked in. “Hey, Ems, welcome back,” she greeted, tossing her bag on the coat rack.

“Hey, traitor. Couldn’t tell my mom no, could ya?” I sneered, smiling at her regardless. She flicked on all the lights and shrugged in response.

“She said if I stopped her, she’d fire me.”

“Dude, she’s not your boss. I am.”

“Yeah well, tell her that. Your mom is scary.” She shuddered at the thought, making me laugh, and I helped her prep the store for opening.

“Alright, alright. Fill me in. What all have I missed?

Her blonde curls bobbed animatedly as she opened the doors and caught me up. “So your mother ran off the kids that come in to just listen to the music. You’re gonna have to round them up and convince them that it’s safe again, cause she was a total dragon. There’s a local band that’s gaining some traction and they’re from the Southside, so we should be able to get them to perform here a few nights. They just signed with that label out of Greendale- Bewitching or whatever the hell it’s called. Maybe you could call Gus to see if we can host their album release.”

“Oh I like it,” I wrote it down on my list. “Anything else?”

She paused and pursed her lips, stalling. “Yeaaahhh. ‘Bitchronica’ got Eliza and The Delusionals to perform for the grand opening.”

Crystal grimaced when I flung my clipboard on the ground, “How in the hell? They hardly come to the States,” I seethed, and forced myself to take a deep breath. “It’s fine. It’ll be fine. We have our regulars, we have our plans, and we have our community.”

“We just don’t have Eliza and The Delusionals,” she muttered, getting right to work on reorganizing the LPs.

I glared in retaliation, “Do you want to be fired?” Her hands were raised in surrender, and I shook my head. By the time Sweet Pea showed up with Blazer in tow, we had the store back in functioning order. He looked to be about sixteen and stood just below Pea’s shoulder.

Sweet Pea walked him over to me and kissed me briefly on my forehead before turning back to his recruit and fixing him with his sternest glare. “Alright, Blaze, no funny business. You make one wrong move here, and you’ll pay for it tenfold in The Gauntlet, you got me?” The poor kid nodded, looking truly terrified.

I reached up to steal a kiss from my favorite baby Serpent wrangler and smacked him on the ass as he headed for the door. Right before he left he turned around. “Em, show him the basics and get Crystal to watch him after that. Jug wants us all at the Wyrm.”

“I guess my maternity leave is over on all accounts, huh?” I groaned as he threw me a wink.

I watched him walk to his bike and drive off before turning around to my newest employee, “It’s really not as intimidating as he made it out to be. Do you like music?” He nodded.

“Do you plan to trash my store or screw me over?”

His eyes went white, and he stammered nervously, “No ma’am.”

“Then you’ll be fine. Oh, and Blazer? Don’t call me ma’am.”

When I pulled in to the parking lot of the White Wyrm, Sweet Pea was leaning against his bike, waiting for me. He smiled when I hopped out and whistled at him. “Hey hot stuff, my husband’s not around. Wanna have some fun?”

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him, placing quick kisses up the side of my neck. “You’re dangerous.”

“You ready to talk about what happened the other day on the job? I’m assuming that’s why we’re here.” I leaned against his chest.

I felt his breath hitch in his chest beneath my head and I looked up at his conflicted face immediately. Whatever it was that he was called out to do was personal, and he was obviously struggling with it. “Baby, I should’ve already told you this.” He took a few more minutes and clutched the smooth leather of my jacket desperately. “My dad’s in town.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally Chapter 6 is here. In this chapter, we find out what Sweet Pea has been keeping from Emma and what it means for their family.  
I own nothing!  
Don't forget to drop me some comments and/or follow me on tumblr, riverdalepoet

Getting to watch Sweet Pea become a father was an honor. The same hands that could cause some serious damage cradled Carter so tenderly. The same voice that could silence an entire room softened as it soothed his cranky newborn to sleep. The same eyes that could cut you right to your core shone brightly when he bragged about his son. Seeing him sing lullabies, fuss over every cry, and be so incredibly happy to simply be Carter’s dad made it hard to believe that he was raised by Larry.

Larry Wilson- the man that could never get clean, the man that couldn’t keep enough food on the table when his wife ran off, the man that used his fists to teach his little boy lessons, the man that never grew up- was back in town. He was fresh from a deal gone wrong with Penny Peabody and wanted the Serpents’ help to get him out of it. Sweet Pea left our home early the other morning to drag his own father, bloody and wasted, from a ditch where he was left for dead.

I looked up at my husband carefully, searching his eyes for what was hiding behind them. “Babe…” I muttered.

Before I could finish a sentence, he was shaking his head and fiddling with a strand of my hair. “Not here, okay? Not now.” He saw my skeptical expression and continued, “Let’s get this over with and go get Carter. I promise we’ll talk about it when we get home. I just want to make sure both of you aren’t in any danger first, okay?”

I nodded reluctantly slipping my hand into his and letting him lead me into the Whyte Wyrm. Sweet Pea took a deep breath running his hand through his hair before going to stand by Jughead. The tremor in his hand was slight, but I noticed it and it made me sick to my stomach with worry. Toni slid up beside me and squeezed me into a one-armed hug as Jug got everyone’s attention.

“Serpents, some of you know, as of March 2nd Lawrence Wilson has come back to Riverdale.” Shocked gasps filled the bar and more than a handful of our fellow gang members turned to look at me, but my eyes were trained on Pea and his clenched jaw. “In exchange for his immunity, he’s agreed to offer up some information about Penny Peabody and the Ghoulies. Let me make one thing clear: he has our protection, but not our trust. Assignments have been posted so when it’s your time to keep watch, do just that- watch his every damn move. He is still an enemy of the Serpent State, don’t forget it.”

The chatter in the bar picked right up where it left off, and Toni turned to me. “I’m sorry, Sweet Pea asked us to keep it under wraps. He wanted to ‘figure out some things’ first.”

I shrugged and laughed it off, “No, trust me, it’s okay. I’m just worried about him.” Sweet Pea was hunched over the bar, more than likely strategizing with Jughead.  
Toni followed my gaze and rubbed my arm. “I know, but we got him, okay? We’ve got all of you. Hopefully, he won’t be here long.”

Sweet Pea made his way over to us and clapped Toni on the shoulder before wrapping both of his arms around me. “You ready, Em?”

I nodded giving Toni a hug and throwing Fangs a farewell over my shoulder. “I’m gonna follow you to your parents, so no texting and driving.”

“I can make it just fine. I won’t stay long if that’s what you’re worried about…and I don’t text and drive.”

Sweet Pea shot me a pleading look and warned, “Emma…” I sighed but halted my objections. He kissed my forehead and opened the door of my car for me. “Oh, by the way, looking for a song is just as dangerous as sending a text.”

“Not if you’re good at it,” I smirked and slammed the door. I could hear Sweet Pea’s chuckle over the sound of my car cranking and caught the wink he threw my way in the side mirror. As unnecessary it was, I waited for Sweet Pea before pulling out of the parking lot and making my way to Parker Drive.

Carter was clingy and wouldn’t settle for sleeping in his crib just yet. Sweet Pea and I took turns passing him back and forth, trying our hardest to get him to rest. We moved to the kitchen, expertly managing to get something on the table in thirty minutes.

Sweet Pea just took Carter and had him happily bouncing around. As much as I wished we could forget the Larry sized shadow hanging over our heads, I had to know where my husband’s head was at. I sat the casserole on the table and leaned against him as he sat in the chair at the table. “Pea… we’re home. We’re safe. One of us might be cranky, but I think it’s because he’s worried about you too. What’s going on?”

He stiffened almost immediately, shoulders tightening under my touch, and took a few minutes to play with Carter’s tiny fist. My fingers anxiously raked against the familiarly rough flannel as I watched each breath he took to calm himself. “I think he’s up to something, and I don’t want a damn thing to do with him. He’s not just here to get the Snake Charmer off his back, I know it.”

I moved to the seat beside him, but kept my hands on his arm, careful not to wake up our baby. “So how do you want to handle this? You know if you want him gone all you have to do is say the word. We already have the upper hand on the Ghouls. It’s not like we’re starving for leverage.”

Sweet Pea stood to walk Carter to his crib and I followed. “No,” he whispered, lowering Carter down and flicking on his nightlight. “No, no, at least not yet. I’d like to figure out what the truth is first.”

We slipped out of his nursery and collapsed, molded together, onto the couch. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

He pulled me closer to him and leaned against the top of my head. “Don’t worry about me, sweetheart. I know how to dodge him. I’ve got years of practice, but you don’t. Please stay cautious while he’s here. If neither of us can keep Carter, leave him with Toni and Cheryl. They know how to fight.”

I sat up and met his eyes. “You don’t think he’d try and get to Carter, do you? Does he even know about him?”

Sweet Pea rubbed my back comfortingly but didn’t dispute my fears. “I don’t know, angel, I just don’t want to risk it.” 

“Okay. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it. How are you feeling?”

“That sack of shit is my father, Emma,” he started. “But it’s different now. I’ve got you and Carter. I’m okay. I promise.” Placing both hands on either side of his face and pulling him firmly to me, I kissed him. He instantly relaxed into the kiss, running his tongue against my bottom lip begging for entry which I happily granted. His hands desperately grasped at every part of me that he can reach- tugging, teasing, and taunting as they went. It wasn’t long before he was hoisting me up despite my giggles and making his way into our bedroom. If this was the way he needed to let off steam, I was happy to be the one he threw on the bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7 does deal with suggestions of abuse so I would exercise caution if this is a topic that could be triggering for you. In this chapter, we see the Serpents stick together in the face of a horrible situation. Make sure to comment. Remember, I’m also on tumblr (riverdalepoet) and will soon be on Wattpad.

As much as I was itching to hop up and change the sheets, Sweet Pea’s heavy arm kept me still against his chest. My mind told me there was no reason to let our guard down. We needed to make a plan to keep us all safe and get us through this without losing our minds, but the vibration from my husband’s lips as we hummed in my ear lulled me into complacency. His fingers traced the length of my spine and I was putty in his steady hands. An easy grin spread across his face leaving me unprepared for the taunting that followed, “It’s killing you, isn’t it?”

I groaned and shoved him lightly, “I CAN’T HELP IT. I can’t sleep on these sheets.”

He pulled me to him peppering my face with kisses and finally stood. “I know it, sweetheart. I’ll grab new ones.”

I had just managed to yank the linens off our mattress when I heard the knock at our door. I craned my head to catch Sweet Pea’s eyes. He tensed up immediately and reached for his bat. He motioned for me to stay put as he opened the door. I rummaged through my jacket slung over the chair for the cool metal of my blade, ignoring his instruction, and going to stand right behind him.

On our front step was a bloody, bruised, and nearly unrecognizable Blazer. I shoved Sweet Pea to the side and reached my arm around him to help him through the door. Sweet Pea went to grab the first aid kit and pulled the door to as I sat the shivering teenager on the stool.

Sweets came back in the room and handed the kit to me, sitting on the stool beside him. He put a firm hand on his shoulder as I went straight to work. His lip had split, his left eye was black and swollen, his neck bore scratches from what looked like a knife, and finger-shaped bruises covered his arm. I prodded gently at his ribs earning a sharp hiss and decided to wrap him up, hoping they were merely bruised. After I was sure everything was secured and sanitized, I grabbed a few ice packs and motioned for Pea to lead him to the couch.

Blazer was still shaking like a leaf so I wrapped two thick blankets around him before asking, “Do you want to talk about it, or do you just want to sleep.”

His bloodshot eyes snapped up to glance nervously between me and my husband. Suddenly, he was on his feet, pacing the floor and trembling still “I left them! I left them! Oh my god.”

I jumped slightly at his outburst, but Sweet Pea sprung into action. He stopped his pacing by taking him by the shoulders and guiding him to sit again. He kneeled with him and asked gently, “Who, Blazer? What happened?”

A few tears escaped from the corners of his eyes mixing with the sheen of sweat that was already covering his face. “My brother and sister, sir. My dad is gonna hurt them. I can’t believe I left them.”

Sweet Pea looked over his shoulder at me, clenching his jaw and taking a few deep breaths before turning back to the boy. My stomach tightened. I knew exactly where this was going. “Did your dad do this you?”

Blazer looked around frantically before hanging his head. “Yes, sir. He’s drunk, and I should’ve known better. I should’ve gotten them out before I made him mad.”

With that, I went to sit at his side carefully putting a hand on his back. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a rare occurrence on the Southside. The Serpents tried to stay vigilant and look for any signs of this kind of abuse so they could squash it from the get-go. Sometimes, though, there was just no way to know leaving kids like Blazer defenseless.

Sweet Pea rose to his feet shooting a look at me before grabbing his jacket and his keys. He wanted me to stay here with Blazer and Carter, and I didn’t argue. “Blaze, listen to me. We’re going to get your brother and your sister out of there, okay? Where’s your mom?”

“She left about a week ago,” he answered, weakly. I squeezed my eyes shut and bit back a few tears of my own. I would never understand mothers like his and Gladys Jones, especially after having Carter.

Sweet Pea shook his head and made his way towards the door. “Promise me that you’ll stay here with Emma.”

Blazer nodded, avoiding his stare. “Yes, sir.”

Knowing that Sweet Pea’s first call would be to Fangs, I dialed Jughead’s number. After a few rings, he hopped on the line sounding groggy but vigilant nonetheless, “Are you okay?”

“I am, but Pea’s gonna need back up. I’ll text you the address.” I heard shuffling in the background and Betty’s sleepy voice.

“I’m heading out now. Call me if you need us,” he answered, ending the call.

I sat my phone down turning my attention back to the young Serpent. “What can I do for you?”

“I don’t think I can sleep. Could we turn on the t.v. or something to distract me?”

“Yeah,” I stood to grab the remote and plopped down on the recliner already ready for my husband to be back. My mind was racing as I clicked through the channels, praying the Serpents could get there in time. 

Blazer sat tensed on the couch and tapped his leg anxiously. “I’m really sorry to show up in the middle of the night.”

“Please don’t be. We’re here for you whenever you need us, okay? That goes for you and your sister and brother.”

He nodded and relaxed significantly into the sofa. Every few minutes he winced, no doubt his ribs causing the discomfort. I wanted to make sure the shock had worn off before I gave him anything, but now seemed as good a time as any. I was in the bathroom to grab the extra strength Tylenol when my phone rang. Glancing to make sure Blazer wasn’t paying attention, I snuck into the bedroom and answered. “Please tell me they’re okay.”

“Ax seems to be okay. He’s scared and upset, but he’s okay. Sienna protected him.” His voice was strained. I could tell something was wrong.

“What is it, Pea, talk to me?”

“Sienna’s barely five years old and she looks just about as bad as Blazer does,” I took in a sharp breath at the news. “She’s just a baby. How could someone do this to their babies, Emma?

“I don’t know. I don’t get it either. I just keep thinking of Carter…and god, it makes me sick. Is Dr. Ellis there?”

“Yeah, he’s getting her fixed up. He wants to come check Blazer out too, just to make sure nothing else is going on with him. I don’t want them out of my sight while this gets sorted out Emma. Do we have room for them?”

I smiled slightly. I was thinking the exact same thing. “Blaze and Ax can take the guest room. We can move Carter to the bassinet in our room, and Sienna can take the daybed in his nursery. I want them here too, Sweets. We’ll make it work.”

I could hear the relief seep through his end of the line. “I love you. We’ll be there in ten.”

Blazer’s demeanor relaxed when I told him that Axel and Sienna would be here soon. He asked how they were, and he could tell by my face that something had happened. “I don’t want you to be upset, Pea says she’s going to be fine.” He tensed up immediately. “He got to Sienna, but he didn’t get to Ax.”

His head rolled into his hands and his shoulders shook miserably. “Blazer, look at me right now.”

Slowly his head lifted up and his watery eyes met mine. “This is not your fault, you hear me. She is going to be just fine; so is Ax, and that’s all because of you. They’re going to be here soon, do you really want them to see you like this?”

His hands wiped furiously at his eyes just as Carter let out a cry. I handed Blazer the Tylenol and a bottle of water and went to check on my baby. A clean diaper and a few cuddles later, and he was good as new. Carefully I rolled his bassinet to our bedroom and laid him in it. Right as I was closing the door, headlights swept across the house.

I rushed to open the door right as they came in. Dr. Ellis and Fangs went straight for Blazer. Sweet Pea crossed the threshold carefully. Ax was sleeping on Pea’s shoulder, and Sienna was walking beside him tucked under his other arm. Jughead carried their bags inside and plopped down by the kitchen table. 

Sweet Pea went to lay Ax down and little Sienna followed his every move. I made my way to Jughead who was fiddling with his beanie. “How’d it go, Juggie?”

His huff gave me all the answers I needed. “Rob had passed out by the time we got there. He didn’t have any fight left to put up, so my dad got him out of their fast. The kids had barricaded themselves in the back room.” His voice hitched and it took a few moments before he could continue. “Emma, I’ve seen some awful things since being all in with the Serpents, but I’ve never seen anything like this. Rob was one of ours. Blazer was a legacy recruit. We should’ve seen this. We should’ve stopped this from happening a hell of a lot earlier.”

I squeezed his hand, but my attention went right to Blazer when he made a cry of pain. Every adult in the room was on their feet hovering around him. Dr. Ellis sighed and turned to us. “One of his ribs are broken. I’m gonna have to take him in. Fangs, why don’t you come with me?”

Fangs agreed instantly and helped Dr. Ellis lift Blazer to his feet. His skin had turned a sickly gray and he was wobbly on his feet. I was grateful Dr. Ellis came when he did. Sweet Pea walked back into the living room, Sienna still trailing him. She clung to the hem of his jacket and looked around frantically for Blazer.

“Sienna, Dr. Ellis, just took your brother to make sure he was okay like he did with you.” She nodded, little tears shining in her eyes. “Are you hungry?”

Sweet Pea took the open seat beside Jughead and I pulled the soup we made earlier out of the fridge. At first, Sienna ate timidly but was soon scarfing down the bowl like it was her first meal in quite a while. Jughead ate his share before standing up to leave. Sweet Pea walked him out giving me the opportunity to get Sienna cleaned up and in bed.

The fight she was still clinging to faded quickly when her head hit the pillow. I stayed with her for a bit, watching the tension that was evident in her face even when asleep. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, I snuck out of the nursery meeting Sweet Pea at the front door. “She alright?”

“She’s asleep. That’s the best thing for her right now. Axel’s still out like a light, too.”

Sweet Pea snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against him. His shaking hand kept my head firmly tucked under his chin. 

“Fangs called while we were outside. Blazer is going to be okay, but he does have to stay a few days so Ellis can keep making sure he’s healing properly. Jug said he knows their aunt. She’s out of town right now, but he’s gonna see if he can’t get in touch with her. He thinks she’d be good for them. She’s got her shit together, ya know?”

I nodded into his chest and burrowed closer into the warmth of his neck. The vanilla, tobacco, leather aroma that simply was my husband always made me feel safe. “Somebody should tell Lauren.”

Sweet Pea stiffened against me. “She left them, Emma. Besides who the hell knows where she is.”

I rubbed my hands along the rigid muscles in his back. “I’m not saying she should be the one to get them, I just think she should know. If tonight proved anything it’s that we have no clue what’s going on. Based on what we do know now- sure she might not deserve much, but we can give her the truth, babe.”

He pulled me tighter to him, running his hands anxiously through my hair. “Yeah, okay. We can start making calls tomorrow. Somebody’s got to know something.” He tugged me towards our room, locking the deadbolt and switching off the lights as he went. He moved Carter’s bassinet carefully towards our bed and sat on the edge of the mattress. ”How has this little guy been?”

Smiling softly, I went to join him, leaning my head on his shoulder and lacing my fingers through his. “He woke up once right before you got back, but he was just hungry. He went right back to sleep.”

His shoulders slumped slightly in relief before he moved to get ready for bed. “At least one kid under this roof has had a good night tonight.”

After showers and freshly brushed teeth, we dragged ourselves quietly under the covers. Clutching tightly to each other, we fell asleep. A few short hours later, a scream from the nursery had us on our feet. “DADDY, NO.”

Carter was, miraculously, unbothered. We checked the windows and doors on our way to the nursery. Axel had clamored to Sienna’s side where she was curled in a ball shaking like a leaf. I crossed the floor and gathered her in my lap as soon as I laid my eyes on her. Sweet Pea scooped up Ax, getting him out of the room. I stroked her auburn hair and held her frail frame securely. “Sienna, you’re safe now, baby, I promise. Shh, we’ve got you. I’m here.”

It took a while, but she finally calmed down. She agreed to go back to sleep but asked if she could sleep with us. I carried her towards our room to find Sweet Pea and Ax already there. Ax was curled up against his side while Sweet Pea had his arm slung over him protectively and flipped through the channels on the television. Once he saw us, he decided to move Carter back into the nursery before climbing back into bed carefully.

Sienna shook slightly but soon fell back to sleep snuggling into me. I hovered over her as she slept, looking up, finally, to meet Sweet Pea’s eyes. He reached a hand across the bed to cup my cheek. I relaxed instantly at his touch and sunk into the pillow beneath my head. Then with the soft light of the television lulling me to sleep, this horrible night finally ended for all of us.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TA-DA!!! The light of day brings some good news for the kiddos we met in the last chapter. Emma gets a call she certainly isn't happy about.

Fingers toyed gently with my hair, stirring me from my sleep. I swatted them away and tried to ignore it, but they were persistent. I peek one eye open only to see my husband and his outstretched arm carefully coaxing me awake without disturbing Axel or Sienna who lay still between us. After my eyes and my attitude adjusted to the light streaming softly into our room and the annoying prodding against my scalp, Sweet Pea motioned for me to get up with him.

“What time is it?” I mumbled, voice thick from the blissful sleep that I was just robbed of. I headed straight for the coffee pot.

“Six a.m.” He chuckled at the whine I gave him in response. Sweet Pea loved the mornings. The quiet, the stillness, the anticipation of the day ahead. I, on the other hand, took about two hours to fully wake up. “Jug called. Apparently, Lauren’s sister is Cassie Mantle.”

“Shut up!” I halted, my hand hovering over the Folgers can. “I never knew that. Oh, Sweets, that’s great. The kids really will be in good hands. Cassie’s as good as gold!”

“Yeah, I was relieved. They’re on their way here now. Didn’t even hesitate when Jones got in touch with them. They dropped everything and hit the road.”

I squeezed his shoulder as I walked by to grab last night’s soup bowls to throw in the dishwasher. “Where are they living now?”

“Bout two hours north of Greendale- a small town called Pleasant Ridge. They’re gonna stay with Reg’s parents until Dr. Ellis releases Blazer.” He rubbed his palms together, fidgeting. My eyebrow shot up suspiciously. I waited for him to spit whatever it was that had him stalling out. “Also…they found Lauren. Emma, she was so messed up, she didn’t even know she had kids. Hell, she barely knew her own name. Jug said that Cassie plans to get her in rehab as soon as she can manage it.”

“Good! Maybe with Cassie and Reggie helping out, she can take the time she needs to get clean, and do right by her kids while she still can.” Sweet Pea nodded.

“I’m gonna take them over to the Mantle’s in a bit. I want to talk to Reggie. Rob won’t be locked up forever, and I want him to know exactly what he’s got to protect them from.” His eyes squeezed shut, no doubt as images from last night’s rescue mission came flooding back. “Fangs is coming here to keep you and Carter company.”

“Babe,” I groaned. “We don’t need a Serpent Sitter. I can take care of us just fine. That is not necessary.”

He fixed me with a hard stare that silenced my objections immediately. “This is not up for discussion. I want someone here with you and that’s final.”

“Yes sir,” I kissed his cheeks and snaked my arms around his broad shoulders. “Come on, bodyguard, let’s go get Ax and Sienna up and moving before Carter starts screaming.”

He followed me, packing up their things while I got them up. Sienna’s freckled nose scrunched up as she stretched. The light of day made the violet bruises look so much worse than I remembered from last night. My eyes lingered on her face before catching Sweet Pea doing the same with an angry scowl heavy on his brow.

Waking Axel up was a challenge. His sister told me he was not a morning person. We had that in common. Eventually, he joined us for breakfast. They ate quietly until Sienna spoke up, “Where do we live now?”

Sweet Pea answered before I could, “Your Aunt Cassie is coming to get you guys, so you all can stay with her.”

Axel’s chubby hand reached up to rub his eyes. “Mommy said Aunt Cassie doesn’t like us.” Sienna’s shoulders slumped forward and Pea reached over to tug at the ends of her hair.

“That’s not true. She got up very early so she can get here to be with you. She’s almost to Riverdale now.”

“Mommy’s not coming back, is she?” My heart shattered at the desperation in his little voice. Sweets scooped him into his lap and held him close. “Not yet, buddy, I’m sorry.”

Carter woke up shortly after breakfast, fighting mad. I tended to him while Sweet Pea loaded the truck up and got it warming up. Axel was content in front of Puppy Dog Pals, but Sienna was very excited to see the baby awake. Soon enough his fussiness was ebbed away by the excitement of a new, smiling face to give him attention.

“He’s really wiggly,” she giggled watching me struggle to get him dressed. Carter let out a squeal of his own, thrilled to have another finger to grip in his fist. Sienna stretched up on her tippy toes to smile at him. He matched her grin with a drooly mirror image of hers.

“I think he likes you,” I chuckle, noticing a soft blush creep onto her cheeks and the very tip of her nose. I put Carter in his bouncer in the living room. Sienna kneeled right beside him, fussing over every belly laugh and gurgle he threw at her. 

“Alright, kiddos, the truck’s warmed up and ready to go,” Sweet Pea announced clapping his hands together. Axel jumped right up, clutching the same blanket he clung to all night. Sienna, however, lingered, fiddling with the small toys on his bouncer. I straightened Ax’s jacket while Sweet Pea went straight for Sienna, covering her tiny back with his hand.

“Hey, you. You know you can come to see him anytime. We can come to see you too, how does that sound?” I melted at the tenderness in his voice.

“Mr. Wilson?” She squeaked nervously.

“Hmm?”

“What if Aunt Cassie’s husband is like Daddy?” Sweet Pea turned her around to face him.

“He will not be, we will make sure of that. We’ve got you, okay?” She nodded and stood to her feet stealing one last smile from my baby and running to give me a hug. Pea kissed Carter on the head and made his way to the door. He kissed me briefly just as Fangs came rumbling up the driveway. 

I watched the trio as they walked to the truck. Fangs ruffled their hair as they passed by before bonding up the steps to the front door. Carter wiggled happily at the sight of him. Fangs didn’t hesitate to free him of the constraints of his bouncer. “Hey, little man. Did you miss Uncle Fangsy? Mommy and Daddy aren’t nearly as fun, huh?”

“Watch it.” I smacked him on the shoulder and sat down beside him. “What’s new?”

“Oh, you know: saving children, beating up complete assholes, guarding the Wilson clan with my life- the usual.”

I snorted in response. “I told him that we would be okay.”

“Yeah, well, talking to a brick wall is damn hard. Trust me, I know. At least we get to hang out.”

I smiled, crinkling my nose at him and the nearly passed out baby in his arms. “ True that, Fogarty. I know you’re hungry.”

“True that, Wilson.” We chuckled so hard at his reply, we almost didn’t hear my phone ring. I got to it just in time, putting it on speaker so I could plumage my cabinets for the dishes I needed.

“Hello?”

“Emma,” a chillingly familiar voice answered. Fang’s eyes snapped up to my pale face. “Why if it isn’t my favorite pain in the ass. It’s been too long.”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I shot back, “Not nearly long enough, Peabody.” Fangs sat Carter in his chair and rushed to my side, hovering over the phone quietly. He pressed record on his own phone to capture the conversation.

“Not feeling very friendly, are we? I bet if I got a hold of that sexy hubby of yours, you’d change your tone.”

“You leave him the hell out of this, you miserable bitch! What do you want?” I growled. Fangs instinctively threw his arm around my shoulders to calm me down. 

“Well, I happen to be feeling…generous. You can either hand Larry over to me or pay the $5k he owes me. The choice is yours, madam. You’ve got 72 hours.” We sat there stunned for a beat. “Oh and Emma? Congratulations on the baby.” With that, the line went dead and I chunked the phone across the room.

“What the fuck? What the fuck, Fangs?! She knows about Carter. She’s gonna hurt him to get to Larry. OH my god!” He grabbed my shoulders and jerked me roughly around to him.

“HEY! We’re going to figure this out. Pack some of yours and Pea’s and Carter’s things. I’ll call a meeting, and we’ll head to the Wyrm. It’s going to be okay, I promise. Do you want me to call Sweet Pea?”

“No,” I muttered. “He needs to make sure that the kids are going to a good place. It can wait until he’s finished.”

Fangs shot me a look of doubt, “He’s not going to like that.”

I groaned and started stuffing our things into a duffle. “I know, I know.”

By the time we made it to the Wyrm, Jug was pacing. Rusty swooned at the sight of Carter, and I kicked myself for not bringing him to meet her sooner. “He’s beautiful, kid.”

“Thanks, Rus. We kinda like him!” I smiled passing him to her. 

Sweet Pea came in a few minutes later, clearly perplexed about why this meeting was called and why his child was in a bar.

Before he could ask any questions, I eagerly interceded, “How’d it go?”

“Really well. They hit it off pretty quickly. Reggie was just as worked up about the whole thing as us, so I feel a lot better. We’re going to keep checking in on them though.” He sighed.

Jughead called for our attention and I tensed up immediately. “Penny has contacted Emma this morning. There is a bounty on Larry’s head. If we don’t bring him to her, we’ll have to pay his debt. My initial reaction was to say ‘fuck off’, but she mentioned that she knows about Carter. She’s threatening one of our own if we don’t deliver, and I will not stand for that.”

Sweet Pea turned to face me, fire seething from his eyes, his tight-lipped mouth, and his rigid shoulders. My sheepish grin did nothing to placate his rage. “Emma,” he hissed. “Outside, right now!” I was certainly in trouble. 

Fangs shot me a look that screamed ‘I told you so’ as I snuck behind him through the doors of the Wyrm. Clutching Carter to me as a 15-pound shield of cuteness, I shrunk under the intensity of his glare. “You wanna tell me why you didn’t call me first? Isn’t this something I would need to know about?” He smoothed the gravel in his tone slightly when Carter squeaked in protest. “How am I supposed to protect my own family if I don’t know what’s going on with them, Emma, how?”

“Oh, is that my cue? Am I supposed to talk now, or do you want to yell at me some more?” I sputtered.

He groaned, shifting his weight from one foot to another and pinching the bridge of his nose. “If I didn’t love you so much, I swear… You drive me insane.”

“The bitch called me about ten minutes after you left. Fangs was there, so we were safe. You were right and I was wrong, doesn’t that make you feel better?”

He simply flattened his lips into a flat line in response. 

“No? Ok then… anyway, if I had called you, you would’ve come straight home, so no I do not regret not calling you.”

“Of course I would’ve come home, Emma. I would’ve dropped everything and been back with you as soon as I could. To hell with…” he trailed off, avoiding my stare.

“To hell with what?” I quipped. “With Blazer? With Axel? What about Sienna? You would’ve said to hell with them and their safety to come chasing an empty threat? Is that what you’re saying? Cause I would not be okay with that.”

Huffing, he answered after a few minutes, “I guess I see your point.” His posture visibly relaxed. I was bouncing Carter around animatedly, resisting the urge to shout “HA”. “I’m sorry for getting upset, baby. I just don’t like you being threatened. The sooner we turn Larry in the better.”

“Well, we don’t know what they’re going to vote to do yet, cause you made us leave.”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass. He’s my problem. This is my choice. It’s clear to me that he’s in it with Peabody. They just want the cash, I know it.”

I blanched, trying to find the best angle to approach this conversation. “But what if that’s not the case? Would it be worth handing him over if he was innocent?”

“Innocent?” he scoffed. “He could do good deeds for the rest of his life and still not be considered innocent. Do you know what he put me through?”

I leaned into him instinctively, balancing Carter with one arm and forcing Sweet Pea’s arm to circle me with my other. “I do, and I wish I could take it all away. I just don’t want this decision to torture you if you make the wrong choice. I really really really think you should talk to him first. Then we can figure it out.”

He stiffened against me and took shallow breaths. I hated to see him this vulnerable. “I guess.”

“Do you still love me?” I muttered, smoothing out Carter’s hair.

His chest shook slightly as he chuckled. “Always, Emma.”

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say. I love you too, Pea.” I smiled pulling him back inside, feeling lighter.


End file.
